Chloe Kelly feeling ‘powerful’ at Arsenal after ‘dark time’ at Manchester City | OneFootball

Chloe Kelly says she is feeling happy and determined to reclaim her England shirt after securing a deadline day loan move to Arsenal from Manchester City.

The 27-year-old, who etched her name in history with England’s Euro 2022 winning goal, struggled for game time at City this season, making just one Women’s Super League start under Gareth Taylor back in October.

Desperate for minutes ahead of this summer’s Euros in Switzerland, she made a bold plea on social media the night before the transfer window closed, saying: “To be dictated whom I can and can’t join with only four months left of the football season is having a huge impact on not only my career but my mental well being.”

It was a gamble that paid off as she sealed her move to Renee Slegers’ Arsenal – all while unwinding at the driving range.

“I felt a sigh of relief after I shared my statement,” Kelly said. “I think it had been a long time coming – it was a relief and I really felt good in that moment.

“I felt powerful, as women we should. The support that I received from that was incredible, but it was still a dark time for me because I didn’t know how my future looked.

“It’s been tough mentally. It’s been tough and it’s been draining at times. But I know I’m a professional and I hold myself to a high level. But I think as a human, it was a tough time for me.

“I think it’s important that we have a voice, no matter the situation. There can be a lot of background noise sometimes, but for me it was a statement where I felt like I expressed my emotions but doing it in the right way too.

“I’m ready to move forward with it all now and I’m ready to learn here and to be happy again. I think it’s really important that we as human beings can be happy, and I am definitely more happy now.”

Kelly, who came through Arsenal’s youth ranks, made her debut for the club in 2015 before moving to Everton in January 2018 after two loan spells.

She later joined City in 2020, making 75 appearances, scoring 21 times, winning both the FA Cup and League Cup and playing Champions League football.

Her last WSL match for Arsenal was in 2017 against Bristol City, where she scored. Sunday’s north London derby will mark 2,815 days since that appearance.

“It’s amazing to be back,” she added. “I feel very settled already and it feels like yesterday I was here, so it was easy to settle in.

“I’ve already got a smile on my face and I’m enjoying training and playing under a top manager in Renee and alongside a great bunch of girls.”

A huge part of Kelly’s desire to move clubs was so that she could challenge for a place in the Lionesses squad ahead of Euro 2025.

Perhaps unsurprisingly due to her lack of minutes, Sarina Wiegman has omitted Kelly from the England squad set to take on Portugal and Spain later this month.

“I completely understand her decision,” Kelly added. “Sarina’s an amazing manager and who I respect so much. What she’s done for English football, she’s an incredible manager who I enjoy working with.

“I’m ready to fight for my shirt back. I’m ready to get good training and good minutes under my belt and be at the best possible come the summer. To play in this Arsenal shirt – I have high hopes for this next six months and I’m really excited now.”

Reflecting on her deadline day move, Kelly revealed that golf was her stress relief as her move was being finalised the day after her heartfelt statement.

“I was at the driving range of my husband,” she said. “I thought – do you know what, I’m going to switch off for the day. He was sat on FIFA we thought ‘let’s go and just get out of the house’. So we went to the driving range and then Arsenal contacted me.

“I remember calling my family straight away to tell them. My brother went upstairs and put his Arsenal shirt on. So straight away, I felt my family were really excited for the move as well, which put a smile on my face.

“They always say your roots pull you back, and they definitely did in this situation, so to be able to get the deal over the line was incredible.

“My last memory at Arsenal was probably thinking that this wasn’t the end of the journey and now I can come back here and make even more special memories.”